Til Death Do Us Part
by McWicca
Summary: An alternate storyline to the JasonCourtney split. When tragety strikes, how will it effect these two and everyone around them? Icky summary, so just trust me and read it!
1. Default Chapter

Til Death Do Us Part Starlight Deception Disclaimer: To make up for not owning the show, I will sue your butt off if you steal this story line. A/N: Just a little back round info. The Sonny shooting Carly storyline happened, but Carly only loves Sonny and is not in a mental hospital. Sonny did not go anywhere with Sam. S&C are at home together. Also, Zander is not trying to set Nikolas up for the murder of Cody McCall. Other than that, everything is the same as in the show.  
  
With a long sigh, Courtney Morgan fell back onto her bed and stared at the ceiling of her tiny apartment. In her mind, she pretended that the off-white ceiling littered with cracks and peeling paint was the vast night sky, sprinkled with constellations that she could never quite identify.  
  
But Jason always could.  
  
His knowledge of stars had always amazed her. After all, who would suspect the heartless Jason "the Enforcer" Morgan to know anything about the stars; weren't they too beautiful and delicate to be within his understanding? Once again he had defied the stereotypes made against him. Many nights, he had driven her on his motorcycle to a secluded spot right outside of town where there were no lights to interfere with the heavenly orbs. He had held her in his arms, pointing out constellations that she never saw the pictures in, but always pretending to for his benefit. Mostly, though, they sat in silence, basking in absolute happiness they experienced with one another. She had never felt more safe then in his arms, underneath a blanket of stars.  
  
Now that was over. They could never ride away from Port Charles again. They could never escape from the world that had swallowed them both in headfirst, a world that she was desperately trying to run away from. They would never look at the stars together again. They might as well just burn out and stop torturing her.  
  
Sitting up, Courtney winced as sharp pain bolted through her head. She had had the worst headache for days now. Assuming it was just from stress, she tried ignoring it as much as possible. She refused to take any pain medication, fearing that it would cause her to become addicted again. 'Maybe fresh air will help,' she thought, rubbing her temples. Grabbing her coat from the desk, her eyes wandered to the front draw. With a slightly shaking hand, she opened it, revealing her and Jason's wedding rings. Tears stung her eyes. "Why are you doing this to yourself?" she asked out loud. About to close the draw, she hesitated, and picked up Jason's ring. Slowly, she slipped it onto her right thumb. A perfect fit. 'One night won't hurt,' she though as she left the apartment.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Zander Smith walked aimlessly around the docks. He was supposed to meet Faith Roscoe here soon. Most people thought he was a lunatic for working for Faith. Either that or they thought he was just a hopeless rebel lashing out at the world because he didn't get his way.  
  
But they didn't understand him at all.  
  
Hell, he didn't even understand himself most of the time. He did things without thinking, leaping before he looks. Sometimes at the end of the day he would look back and be awed by his own stupidity, and how much he let his anger and jealousy drive him. But it didn't stop. He would wake up the next day just as angry and jealous as before, wanting nothing more than to take hold of someone's throat and squeeze for all he was worth. Especially his throat.  
  
Zander felt himself getting hot at the very thought of Nikolas Cassadine. That cold, arrogant bastard, the prince who always got his way. So noble and righteous, he even waited until marriage to sleep with Emily. To bad he wasn't the groom. Come to think of it, Zander and Emily never made love after they were married. His world was so ironic.  
  
Zander thought he heard someone behind him. Turing, he expected to see Faith, but was instead greeted by the sight of a different blonde hunched over in pain.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
It was late by the time Courtney reached the docks, and freezing. She clutched her coat around her and looked skyward. It was such a clear night. She tried to remember which constellation was in the sky this time of year. Capricorn, was it? Sighing, Courtney fingered the platinum band on her thumb. Smiling, she though of the first time she saw him wear it, right after Alcazar kidnapped her. She thought of their amazing wedding in France where she slipped the ring onto his finger before kissing him as her husband for the first time. God, why couldn't she get over him? Why couldn't she just accept that they could never be together?  
  
Suddenly, pain tore through Courtney's head, making the migraines she had suffered recently seen like dull aches. Clutching her head, she let out an anguished cry.  
  
Someone was running towards her. "Courtney!" he screamed.  
  
"Jason?" a barley conscious Courtney asked, praying that it was her husband who was beside her.  
  
"No, Courtney, it's Zander. What's wrong? Can you tell me? Courtney!"  
  
But Courtney could no longer hear him. All she knew was the stars above her were blurring into one great light, before they turned into darkness. 


	2. New Beginnings and Familiar Scenes

Till Death Do Us Part  
  
New beginnings and familiar scenes  
  
Disclaimer: Read this clever distraction while I plan my hostile takeover plan....  
  
A/N: I am soooooo sorry it took so long to get this up. I posted too soon and had to finish planning the storyline before I could post again. Not to mention my worst enemy: writer's block *shivers*. Also, the storyline on the show has changed a lot since I last updated, so here are some revisions. The fire did happen, but as I mentioned before Carly was not with Alcazar. However, she is still having visions, though they are slightly different than the ones on the show (you'll find out about that later). Obviously, Zander wasn't the one to start the fire, nor is he on the run. He is still working for Faith. Oh, and all of Carly's visions are in italics (of my computer decides to hate me and no italics come up, well, I'll figure something out later).Well, please read and review!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Courtney! Courtney!"  
  
His shouts fell upon deaf ears. Zander stared hopelessly at the fallen beauty in his arms, fighting the panic rapidly rising within him. Shaking slightly, he took out his cell phone and dialed 911.  
  
"911, please state the nature of your emergency," came the inappropriately calm and monotonous voice of the operator.  
  
"Yeah my—my friend just collapsed," he said with a quivering voice, wondering how appropriate it was to label Courtney as his friend.  
  
"All right sir, where are you?"  
  
"We—we're at the pier. Hurry!"  
  
"Okay sir, an ambulance will be there in about fifteen minutes. Does your friend have any known health problems?"  
  
Zander's voice seemed to have disappeared. "Fifteen minutes!" he screamed when he finally regained control of his vocal cords. "A person can die in fifteen minutes! Aren't you supposed to get here sooner?"  
  
"Yes, sir, but there was a terrible accident on Route 9 and—"  
  
Contempt dripped from Zander's every word. "You know what? Screw this. I'll take her to GH myself."  
  
Closing his phone, Zander gently picked up Courtney's limp body. "Don't worry," he whispered pointlessly in her ear. "I'll take care of you. You'll be okay. I promise."  
  
As he turned towards his car, Zander was greeted with the last sound he wanted to hear.  
  
"I would think a little before making a promise like that, cupcake."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The wind whipped past the dark figure, pushing against his black leather jacket and cooling the metal of his motorcycle helmet. Around him, the air was disturbed by the roaring of his bike, but he remained oblivious. All of his senses seemed to have failed him except the vision that allows him to stare and the dusty road ahead. Without warning he turned to the right, entering a secluded location unknown to most of the world.  
  
This was Jason's place. He had discovered it years ago, when seeking refuge from the Quartermaines after his accident. Trees and other plants nearly obscured the area from those driving on the road. Grass, not pavement, carpeted the ground. No signs of civilization touched this place, making it appear to be a window to years past. If one walked a small distance, a little brook would be discovered. The gentle trickling of water provided the only sound, save for the occasion cry of a lonely animal. And at night....at night the stars shined bright and clear, as if God had polished the sky.  
  
And know one knew about it but him; not Emily, not Sonny, not even Carly, whom Jason had trusted with some of his most personal secrets. In fact, he had only shared his place with one other person....  
  
Now was not the time to think about that. Jason had come here to forget about her, to forget about all the pain even the mention of her name brought to him. He wanted to forget about the divorce, and her new job, and how her pillow was starting to lose her scent. He wanted to forget about how empty the penthouse was without her, how cold the sheets felt in the morning, and how naked his finger felt without his ring. He wanted to forget that she even existed.  
  
If only it were that simple. Everything reminded him of Courtney. He couldn't go to Kelly's without reminiscing about there first meeting. When he went to the park, he saw her walking Rosie. And whenever it rained, he could feel her lips against his, locked in a forbidden kiss.  
  
Before he realized it, he was standing by the brook. Falling onto the grass, Jason absently ran his fingers through the cold water. With a sudden surge of power, the water splashed his hand, soaking his tender ring finger that now bore no protection from the elements. He had to face it. His marriage was over. Nothing could save it.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
*Knock knock*  
  
"I'll get it!" Carly Corinthos yelled to no one in particular. Sonny wasn't even home; he was out on "business" doing God knows what.  
  
Swiftly she opened the door, revealing Max, who was struggling not to drop an enormous bouquet of tropical flowers that he was apparently allergic to.  
  
"Mrs. Corindos...*sniff*, dis just came for....for....for...."  
  
Carly ducked as Max let out a tremendous sneeze.  
  
"You," he finished with a defeated sniffle.  
  
"Oh, um, okay. I'll take them," she said, barely managing to get the rainbow of blossoms to Sonny's desk without collapsing. Whoever sent these had gone way overboard.  
  
"Thanks Max. And, oh wait...." She reached for a few tissues, thought better of it, and handed Max the entire box. "You might need these."  
  
"Danks, Mrs. Corindos," Max replied, loudly blowing his nose as he shut the door.  
  
'I'll have to remember to have Vick pick up all flowers from now on,' she thought as she inspected the plants. They really were spectacular; tropical flowers of every color imaginable bloomed from an ornately woven basket, the sunburst design they created obviously made by a master florist. Smiling, Carly reached for the card, already knowing that bore her husband's name.  
  
~My Dearest Carly,  
Some flowers to show how much I love you. I know tropical flowers are your favorite, so I had them imported from the Bahamas. I won't give up on you, Carly. You have my heart forever.  
Love,  
Lorenzo~  
  
For a moment, Carly could only stare at the paper in her hands, her mouth agape and her eyes bulging.  
  
"That cold-hearted, obsessive, freakish bastard!" she exclaimed, each angry word increasing in volume as she tore the card into tiny shreds. Still clasping the pieces in her hand, Carly flopped onto the couch, and proceeded to massage her suddenly throbbing temples. All at once, her mind separated from reality....  
  
She was in the arms of a faceless stranger holding him close to her body. As she needed the very air around her, she needed to hold him, needed to be held in return. His hold on her was firm, yet gentle, caressing her and comforting her. Comforting her, loving her.... His body was blurry; in fact, everything was out of focus except the acute emotions surging through her. But as his strong hands continued to grip her, she finally saw them clearly. What she saw—or rather, what she didn't see- shocked her to her very core, destroying the unconscious peace that had settled within her. On the man's left hand, there was no ring....  
  
Breathing rapid, shaky breaths, Carly re-entered the world. In one brief movement, she peeled the now-sweaty shreds of paper from her palm, dumping them into the wastebasket. Picking up the bouquet, she walked with amazing ease to the door flung it open, and thrust the plants into the arms of the allergenic Max.  
  
"Do me a favor, Max," she said, forgetting why the guards eyes were red and puffy and he had a clump of used tissues in his hand. "Burn these."  
  
In her distressed state, Carly failed to recognize the anguished look on Max's face.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Irritably, Zander turned to face the speaker who prevented him from getting help for Courtney. "Faith, I really don't have time for this right now." Silently he prayed that she would leave it at that, knowing full well that she wouldn't.  
  
"Zander, Zander, Zander," she said in that condescending, grating way that was her trademark. "If you're going to be working with me, you are going to have to learn about a certain thing called a golden opportunity."  
  
Soon Zander realized that his arms were starting to go numb. "Look, you can instruct me on mob lingo later, but right now I have to get Courtney to the hospi—"  
  
"Oh, you're not going anywhere with Mrs. Morgan. Don't you get it?" Slowly Faith circled him as he grunted in his effort to support Courtney's limp body. "The little bunny here is Jason's beloved wife. And Sonny's sweet, sweet baby sister. And do you know what that means, hunny?" Not waiting for the answer she knew Zander would never give, Faith settled for wrapping her arms around his neck and seductively whispering in his ear. "It means, love, that we have leveraged."  
  
Instantly, Zander pulled away. He had known from the beginning that Faith was a ruthless, black hearted snake, but taking advantage of a sick woman with no way to protect herself....Then again, she had killed her own grandmother, so there was really no need for him to be surprised.  
  
"Look, Faith, I'm willing to do a lot for you. I've slept with you, I've risked my life, and I've done every dirty deed that you've asked." As he spoke, his voice becoming louder and more furious with each syllable, Zander began to realize to the full extent the mistake he made in forming an alliance with Faith. "But I'm not going to help you kidnap a person who has always been kind to me, and who could be dying as we speak! So just forget it and let me go!"  
  
Shocked, Faith made one last, almost desperate, attempt to reason with Zander. "But Zander, this is what the job is all about. This is our way to get Sonny's territory—"  
  
"I don't care about the damn territory!" Zander cried, causing Faith to jump back a good foot. "And I don't care about the damn job! Do you hear me Faith? I quit!"  
  
And with a sudden burst of strength, Zander carried Courtney swiftly to his car, laid her down gently, and proceeded to speed toward GH. While balancing the tacks of driving through busy streets and checking the rear- view mirror to make sure his "friend" was still breathing, Zander managed to once again remove his cell phone. This was one call his wish he didn't have to make....  
  
Stunned, Faith simply stared after the car for several minutes. Slowly, however, her sinister grin once again found its home on her face.  
  
"Poor, poor Zander," she muttered to no one but herself. "You should know that no one gets out that easily."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
For what had to be several hours—although the abstract concept of time eluded him when here—Jason remained by the brook, separated from the world. When the sound of the night owl echoed through the air, he reluctantly removed himself from his spot on the earth, glancing about one more time before he returned to reality. Just as he was about to exit the haven, though, he heard the unmistakable sound of his cell phone....  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ohhh, I am so evil! I still didn't tell you what's wrong with Courtney, now did I? *Evil grin* I guess you'll just have to wait for the next chapter *even eviler grin* But it WILL NOT take me as long to get chapter 3 up, since it's spring break for me and I already have the story planned out. Please review, because I must say, it was the second review from Dork628 that made me update tonight. I even wrote the part about Carly in gym class because I felt so bad! 


	3. Lost in Darkness

Til Death Do Us Part  
  
Lost in Darkness  
  
Disclaimer: No, I don't own anything. _{stands on bridge}_ I have nothing! There is nothing to live fo—oh look a butterfly!  
  
A/N: Again, sorry for the delay _{kisses the feet of readers and begs for forgiveness}_ The story should become more interesting after this chapter, so bare with me. And please please **PLEASE** review! Hugs and stuff!

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Almost automatically, Jason whipped his cell phone from its home in his jacket, answering the ringing with an emotionless "Morgan."  
  
"Jason, it's Zander." Oh, wonderful. The self-destructive bastard that had once held the title of his brother-in-law wanted to talk to him. No doubt to deliver some ill-fated ultimatum Faith had devised to gain Sonny's territory. He really couldn't deal with him right now.  
  
"Listen, Zander, I really don't have the time for you or Faith or anything else you have to say. You can tell Faith that Sonny is not interested in—"  
  
"Jason, this is not about Faith!" Zander shouted, interrupting perhaps the longest string of sentences he had ever heard Jason utter. "This is about Courtney."  
  
Instantly, Jason froze; his feet stopped their tread towards his car mid-step, and his lungs ceased their quest for air. A thousand thoughts raced through his mind, a thousand gruesome situations leading to Zander's call unfolding before his eyes. When his lungs finally escaped their paralysis, Jason had to fight to keep voice from quivering as he questioned Zander. "Wh-what happened to my wife?"  
  
The words rolled off his tongue, leaving him to digest their bitter irony. Courtney wasn't his wife anymore. By now she had signed the divorce papers. But if something had happened to her, none of that mattered.  
  
Zander did not fail to miss the pain in Jason's voice. It amazed him how deeply Jason, "the Enforcer", the cold-hearted and emotionless killer, loved the woman lying unconscious in the back seat of his car. No matter how much he disliked Jason, Zander couldn't help but regret what he was about to say. "I don't know. She passed out on the docks about ten minutes ago, and she hasn't woken up. I'm taking her to GH. Meet us there."  
  
Zander's words had barely left his mouth before the man on the other end of the phone was on his bike, speeding away.

------------------------------

Darkness. Everywhere, there was darkness. The cruel ebony prison encased her from all angles, suffocating her slowly. She tried to move, to fight her way out of this jail, but found she was unable to do so. It was as if she had no body at all. Thoroughly terrified, she attempted to scream, but no sound came from her mouth. She could not tell if her eyes were open or closed; nor did she know if she was standing up or lying down. She could not even be sure if she was breathing...  
  
'Is this death?' she though, not so much out of fear than out of morbid curiosity. 'Am I dead? Is this all there is for me?'  
  
Where was heaven? She was a good person, wasn't she? For God's sake, she had given up everything she loved to maintain her damned moral standards! No, there had to be some mistake. She shouldn't be here, in the empty, cold darkness. She should be with God, with the angels, with him...there could be no heaven without him.  
  
This couldn't be death. She couldn't be dead. Perhaps she was somewhere in-between live and death, where only the petrifying darkness existed. Only darkness.

------------------------------

Practically skipping, Emily Quartermaine made her way through the busy hospital floor. Try as she might, she couldn't stop a borderline insane smile from giving away her pure bliss; her test results were in, and she was still in remission. 'This must be what it feels like to be on top of the world,' she thought as she approached the receptionist's desk, preparing to schedule another bi-monthly appointment. However, a distraught man in the waiting area caught her attention.  
  
'Zander?' she wondered to herself. 'What's he doing here? Oh, God, what if he's been hurt working for Faith?!' Forgetting the feud currently waging between the two of them, Emily hurried over to Zander's side.  
  
"Zander!" she called anxiously, making no attempt to hide her concern.  
  
Zander instantly removed his head from his hands. "Emily?" he said, disbelievingly. What was she doing here? And why was she talking to him, after the way he'd been treating her? Suddenly, a horrifying thought crossed his mind.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked, springing from his seat. "The cancer's not back, is it? Is that why you're here?"  
  
"No! I'm fine. In fact, I just got test results back saying I'm in perfect health."  
  
Zander let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "That's good," he said, falling back into his seat. "That's really good."  
  
"Yeah. But, um, why are you here? You're not hurt, are you? Did Faith do something to you or..."  
  
Zander silenced her with a shake of his head. "No. This has nothing to do with that bitch." He paused, looking up into Emily's eyes. "I quit."  
  
Emily didn't know if it was possible, but she felt better that she had five minutes earlier. "Oh, Zander, that's great! I was so worried about you!" she said enthusiastically and she bent down and gave him a quick hug. She pulled away, leaving her hand resting on Zander's leg as she took a seat beside him.  
  
"You were?" he questioned, briefly forgetting about the awful events of the night. He hadn't thought she'd cared about him anymore.  
  
"Well, yeah, of course," she stated tentatively, as if her words were forbidden. "Zander, just because we aren't together anymore doesn't mean I stopped caring about you. You were my first love, and that doesn't change."  
  
A familiar feeling of bitterness began to resurface within Zander. "But not your true love, right? You have your prince for that." He shifted his leg, causing Emily to remove her hand, an act he immediately regretted; it had felt so right touching her, as if they were two puzzle pieces that fit together.  
  
Emily said nothing. They had been doing so good! She thought they might actually be able to have a conversation without hostility. Sighing, she stood from her chair, about to leave when she remembered why she had approached him in the first place "You never mentioned why you were here."  
  
Something shifted inside Zander; Emily could see it. His animosity towards her and Nikolas faded away, his features instead consumed by fear and haunting memories. As his eyes met hers for the second time that night, a familiar feeling of dread settled in the pit of her stomach.  
  
"It's Courtney. Something's very wrong with her, and I don't know what."

------------------------------

Frantically, Jason ran down the halls of the hospital, nearly knocking several people down and causing a nurse to drop a pile of files. He didn't have the time to care. It had been nearly two hours since Zander had called him. Though he had exceeded the speed limit constantly on his way, he had been too far away to get there any sooner. He had no knowledge of Courtney's condition. For all he knew she could be...  
  
'Don't think like that,' he told himself furiously. 'It won't do any good.'  
  
Suddenly, he spotted the one person who could give him answers.  
"Zander!" he called, rather breathless from running, as he approached the man and his sister. "Where is she? What happened?"  
  
Zander stood to face Jason, while Emily also rose and took his hand; she wanted to offer whatever support she could.  
  
"We were on the docks," Zander began. Jason noticed that he refused to make eye contact with him. "I heard someone behind my and I saw her collapse. She was still conscience when I got to her, but only for a few seconds. She-uh, she..." Zander couldn't bring himself to continue.  
  
Jason stared at him, his patience running thin. "She what?" he finally snapped, unable to wait for the news any longer, no matter how bad it was.  
  
"She though I was you," Zander blurted, faster than he had meant to. He just wanted to get this over with.  
  
Wordlessly, Jason flopped heavily into a chair, putting his head in his hand. Courtney thought Zander was him. She had needed him, desperately, and he hadn't been there. Images of his wife shivering on the cold ground, calling out his name and getting no response, tortured Jason.  
  
"Where is she now?" he asked a few moments later, still not removing his head from his hands.  
  
"I'm not sure. A few hours ago Tony Jones said he wanted to run some tests, but I haven't heard anything since."  
  
"I just got a hold of mom a few minutes before you got here," Emily said, speaking at last in a desperate attempt to make the situation better. "It's her day off, but she's on her way over now to see if she can help."  
  
Jason nodded subconsciously, absorbing all the information. For a while the three sat in an uncomfortable silence, none knowing what to say or what else to do. Every so often Zander fidgeted in his chair, not quite sure whether he should be there, all the while knowing that he could not make himself leave. Emily bit her once perfectly manicured nails, an old habit that refused to die. And Jason simply sat and looked at the opposite wall, his stare so hard and cold that one who didn't know him would think he had no emotion at all.  
  
Lucky for the three, Monica soon entered the waiting room; already in uniform and showing no indication that she had been woken from a much- needed nap to come. Instantly Emily, Zander, and Jason jumped to their feet, all speaking at the same time.  
  
"Mom, did you get any news?"  
  
"Have you seen Dr. Jones yet?"  
  
"Where's Courtney?"  
  
"Everyone calm down!" said Monica, trying to keep the situation from escalading. "No, I don't have any news on Courtney's condition, no; I haven't spoken to Dr. Jones, and Courtney's in room 620. It's the second door on the ri—"She stopped mid-word, as Jason was already running towards his wife's room.  
  
Slowly, he opened the door of room 620 and peered inside. There was Courtney, still unconscious. Her blonde hair spread itself wildly against her pillow, a few rogue strands falling into her face. Her skin, usually pink and as full of life as she, was now almost as pale as the pillowcase on which she rested. God, she looked so helpless, so fragile lying on the bed with hulking monitors beeping around her. Tentatively, as if his touch would cause her to shatter, Jason took her hand in his. Suddenly feeling cool metal against his skin, he looked down and was amazed by what he saw; his wife was wearing his wedding ring.

------------------------------

Still darkness. There was nothing around her, nothing she could feel. In this limbo she had no sense of time; she did not know if she had been here for minutes, days, or years. Long ago (or so it seemed), she had given up trying to find a way out, trying to determine if she was alive. Breathing was no longer a concern. Life was no longer a concern. The numbness continued to spread through her, taking over her mind. Soon there would be nothing left of her; she would be nothing more than a memory. And there was nothing she could do but wait.  
  
Suddenly, a flicker of warmth spread through her. From some source she could not locate, energy flowed through her veins, waking her from her slumber. Slowly, she could feel her body again, and found where the spring of warmth originated; her hand. Her eyelids struggled against her mind, still frozen in darkness, to open to the world. 'No,' she thought desperately. 'I don't want to go back. There's nothing there for me. There's no one there. Please no...' But her body, so weary of its none-use, refused to listen. Slowly, her eyes opened, allowing the bright lights of a hospital room to assault her senses.  
  
"Courtney!" someone next to her said urgently. She knew that voice...but it couldn't be him.  
  
"Jason?" Courtney questioned weakly, her voice barely a whisper. Immediately, her husband moved into her view and began unconsciously stroking her pale cheek. "Wh-what happened to me? Why am I here?"  
  
"You collapsed on the docks. Zander took you to the hospital and called me. Tony did some tests, but we haven't gotten the results yet. I think Monica's trying to find out for us."  
  
Right on cue, Monica walked into the room, a packet of test results in her hand. A few minutes prior she had gotten them from Tony, and then begged to be the one to tell the couple the news. They should hear it from her.  
  
"We, we just got the results of your tests, Courtney." God, how was she going to do this?  
  
Jason knew that look. It was the same one Monica had given Emily so many times when the cancer had nearly killed her. It was the look she had given him when he had woken up from his accident. And now, with the tests results in her hand, she gave it to them.  
  
"Monica," Jason prompted, trying to keep the fear from his voice. "What do they say?"  
  
With a long sigh, Monica spoke the words Jason feared. "Courtney, I'm afraid you have a brain tumor."


	4. Within Blue Eyes

Til Death Do Us Part

Within Blue Eyes

Disclaimer: I make no attempt to contain my joy in saying that **I** **ACTUALLY OWN SOMETHING!!!!! **There is a new character, Dr. Turner, introduced in this chapter, and he's MINE. All mine. You can't have him! Mwahahaha.....evil laughter

A/N: Finally! It took me long enough, didn't it? I'm sorry that it took so long to get this up. For personal reasons, I had to stop work on this story for a while. Also, somewhere towards the end of writing this chapter, the entire storyline was altered. It's becoming more and more complex with every chapter I write, and I've taken to writing ahead to clear the confusion. Hopefully the result will be worth the wait. This chapter is a bit of a rarity, as Zander and Emily aren't present. The story still worked without them, and I wanted to post this sooner, so they were cut. But you'll be seeing them again soon!

_(The website won't let me put dividers in between different parts of the story- which is annoying to no end- so I'll insert something to let you know when the setting changes)_

Courtney, I'm afraid you have a brain tumor."

Monica's words sounded like an echo throughout the cold hospital room, taunting the horrified people within it; the pitiless sounds bounded off the white tiles of the floor, the ugly plaster of the walls, and the multitude of equipment serving as a reminder of the seriousness of the situation. For many moments after the sound vibrations had cleared, they could still be heard in the brains of the three who resided in room 620, as the diagnosis seeped deep into the crevices of their minds. Although both Jason and Courtney desired to question what they had just heard, to claim an error had occurred and demand a retest, they somehow knew there was no doubt behind Monica's statement; they could not deny that there had been no mistake.

"A b-brain tumor?" Courtney stuttered despite herself, more stating the fact than asking a question. Monica only nodded solemnly in response, not wanting to give life to the horror once again.

The young woman slowly pushed herself into a sitting position (all the while dodging Jason's attempts to assist her), thoroughly stunned. A brain tumor? How could this have possibly happened to her? Never, in all her life, could she remember having any serious health problems; by all rationalization, she should be in perfect health.

Suddenly, it was as obvious to Courtney as if someone had placed a neon sign inches from her face. _The headaches_, she thought desperately, condemning her own stupidity. She had never had problems with migraines before; she should have known that they weren't caused by the stress of the impending divorce.

Drawing a breath that was scarcely less shaky than the previous, Courtney, completely ashamed by the foolishness of her actions and staring intently at her hands, said, "I have been getting a lot of bad headaches lately."

For a moment, Jason simply stared at her, astounded. She had been sick? And she hadn't come to anyone about it, not even Carly? Although he felt a slight urge to scold his wife for her thoughtlessness, the desire was quickly overcome by his own feelings of guilt. For days now he had been pushing her for a quick divorce; he could only image how the added stress must have affected her health. Courtney seemed to have read his mind, because she refused to meet her husband's eyes.

"That doesn't surprise me," Monica said with a slight sigh, severing Jason's train of thoughts. With a motherly look at Courtney, who was now fingering the gold ring on her right thumb, she inquired, "Is that what happened tonight on the docs?"

Not raising her eyes, Courtney nodded. "But this one was worse than the others," she admitted softly, in a voice scarcely more than a whisper, as she struggled to recall the intense pain of the previous hours. "So much worse..."

Trying to find a way to fill the ensuing silence, in which every second pounded the grim diagnosis deeper and deeper into them, Jason said what he knew Courtney had been wondering. "What do we do now?"

"Well," said Monica slowly, sitting managing somehow to maintain a completely professional tone, "the first thing you need to know is that the tumor is a malignancy. That means that, if we don't treat it, it will spread to the rest of your brain."

Courtney took a deep, sudden breath; it was the only thing she could do to keep from crying.

"Ok," she started slowly, cautiously. "Then, um, how do we get rid of it?"

"Usually," Monica said, her voice remaining hard (Jason had the impression that it was to keep her own pain from scaring Courtney), "we would perform surgery to remove the mass, then follow up with radiation. But in your case, surgery is not an option."

Courtney simply stared at Monica, stunned. "Why?" she asked, a bit louder than she intended. "Why can't I have the surgery? I need it to get rid of the tumor, don't I?"

"Courtney," Monica said in a suddenly soothing voice, sounding much like a mother talking to a young child, "the blood tests show that there has been significant damage done to your liver. More than likely, it was caused by an acute intake of drugs. With the techniques available, it would be too risky for you to have the surgery with your condition. It just can't be done."

Of everything that had happened in the last few hours, of all the fear and anxiety and heartbreak, this was undoubtedly the worst. Jason knew it, and his grasp on Courtney's hand tightened. However, she did not respond; she was far too preoccupied with the dark thoughts suddenly swirling through her brain, clouding her senses. Surgery wasn't a possibility because her liver was damaged. Because of drugs; because of the drugs she had taken by choice, the drugs she had succumbed to because she was not strong enough to handle the loss of her daughter. She could be dying right now, and she had no one to blame but herself.

"Is there anything you can do?" Courtney asked in a hushed voice several minutes later, the tone of her voice almost desperate, her eyes not making contact with anyone or anything.

"Yes," said Monica, trying and failing to sound upbeat. "The surgery increases the chances of survival, but it isn't necessary. We're going to give you a few days to stabilize, and then we want to begin radiation treatment. I've referred you to Dr. Turner; he's an expert in this field and I can assure you that you couldn't be in better hands. He'll be in to tell you more about the specifics of your treatment later, but I thought for now you could use some time to absorb all this." Monica took a few steps over to Courtney and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry," she said, trying to give her daughter-in-law some measure of comfort. "We're going to do everything we can to get you better." And with that she left the room, leaving husband and wife to pick the pieces of the life that had just been shattered.

Instinctively, Jason gave Courtney's hand, which he had yet to release, a gentle squeeze. Looking up at him, her blue eyes bore into his, almost daring him to look into her, to see what she was feeling. The sapphire orbs challenged him, almost _demanded _him try and reach her, to try and save her from what he could not. Looking deeper, he could almost see the bitter laughter in her eyes, the cold knowledge that he would not succeed if he tried. And it was so; there was something present in Courtney that had not been there but a half hour ago, when she had awoken from her sleep and gazed at him in confusion. Now there was a barrier between the world and her being; now she would not let him see her emotions as she so readily had before. Some part of Jason speculated that this must be what he looked like to most of the world. The larger part, however, feared for Courtney, and drove his voice to utter the most idiotic, unnecessary question he had ever asked.

"You okay?" he questioned softly, all the while knowing how redundant it was.

Courtney made an indistinct head motion, which could not be taken as a yes or a no. "I just...I just need some time alone right now," she said after a moment, finally breaking the eye contact she had held so vigilantly. "I need to think about some things."

Jason nodded, understanding her feelings completely. Letting go of her hand, he began to rise from the chair and, although he wasn't sure it was a wanted gesture, he swiftly bent down and kissed Courtney's forehead tenderly. "I'll be outside if you need me," he said, though he had a distinct feeling that she would not.

As he turned and walked towards the door, Courtney suddenly called out, "Jason?" He turned toward her questioningly, and she felt great shame and guilt well up inside her, forcing her to again avoid his eyes. "I guess you're going to call Sonny and Carly. When they get here, would you tell Carly that I want to see her?" Although she still didn't look up at Jason, she knew he had nodded yes before he turned and left the room, the last thing that either of then wanted.

Alone for the first time since walking to the docs, Courtney finally allowed her mask fall, and promptly began sobbing into her pillow.

_(The next morning, at Sonny at Carly's penthouse)_

Slowly, Carly's eyes fluttered open, gradually adjusting to the pale sunlight of the morning. Rolling over in her bed, she could see that her husband lay next to her, sleeping soundly; he must have snuck in sometime after she had gone to sleep.

For a moment, Carly thought about waking him up and yelling at him for getting in so late, for making her worry. But the Cheshire cat grin that spread on her face showed that she had devised a different plan for her husband.

Throwing the covers off of her, Carly crawled over to Sonny's sleeping form. Gently, she stroked his hansom face with her hand, tracing his defined jawbone with the tip of her finger. Her lips closed the space between his, caressing him out of sleep. Within moments, she felt him beginning to groggily kiss her back.

"Mmm," he mumbled, still captive of sleep's stupor. "Why don't you wake me up like this every day?"

"You don't deserve it," she said as she separated from him momentarily. "Do you have any idea how worried I was last night when you didn't come home?"

Fully awake now, Sonny looked meaningfully into his wife's brown eyes. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "It was just business."

"It's always 'just business'," Carly grumbled, pulling away from her husband and hugging her knee's to her chest.

"Hey," Sonny pulled her back towards him, taking her small body into his embrace. "You know that I don't have anything going on today. I can stay here with you and the kids." A grin, so similar to the one Carly had worn minutes before, overtook his mouth. "Maybe I could make it up to you..."

Unable to resist her husband's charm, Carly once again brought her lips to Sonny's. Their kiss grew more and more passionate, each becoming completely enthralled with the other. She wildly grasped the hairs at the nape of his neck, pulling him closer to her body as he caressed her slight curves. Suddenly, she recalled someone else grabbing at her body, and the memory of his touch made her freeze; the man from her vision. For a moment, her nausea caused by the prospect of visualizing another man touching her halted her desperate pursuit of her husband, an action that did not go unnoticed. Feeling Sonny begin to pull away, and being in no mood to tell him about her dream from the night before, she dived into him with a zealous kiss, pushing away his concern. At that moment, the unmistakable and unwelcome sound of the telephone interrupted them.

"Leave it," said Carly breathlessly, as her fingers tore at his undershirt. "Whoever it is can wait."

For a moment Sonny seriously considered following Carly's orders; there was certainly nothing he desired more. But the rational part of his brain knew that, more than likely, whoever was on the other end couldn't wait. Reluctantly, he pulled away from his wife's desperate grasp, giving her a look that plainly apologized for what he had to do. Striding over to the phone, Sonny smoothly picked up the receiver and answered, "Corinthos."

"Sonny, it's me." 'Me' was clearly Jason, although Sonny wondered why he was calling; he hadn't been given a job that day.

"What's up, and this better be good," he said, casting a wanting look at Carly, who was scowling indignantly.

"It's Courtney. Sonny, she's in the hospital."

A cold panic washed over Sonny like icy water. "What happened?" he asked, only just managing to keep his voice steady. Carly did not miss the anxiousness in his voice, and immediately focused her attention to his end of the conversation.

"I—I can't really talk about it over the phone. Will you and Carly come down to the hospital? She's on the sixth floor."

"Yeah, sure," replied Sonny, his concern growing with every passing second. Why couldn't Jason tell him what had happened to his sister? Was it that bad? "We'll see you there in an hour."

As Sonny hung up the phone, Carly prepared to bombard him with questions, but never got the chance; as he frantically began getting dressed, Sonny said simply, "Courtney's in the hospital. We have to go there now."

Something in the tone of his voice told Carly not to say anything, and simply get out of bed and dressed as quickly as possible. And she did, holding her tongue when she most desired to speak, pushing her own fears aside.

_(At the hospital)_

Exactly one hour later, Sonny and Carly arrived on Floor 6 of General Hospital. Almost immediately, they spotted Jason sitting in a waiting room. Both were taken aback by his appearance; his eyes were red and swollen, as if he had not slept for many hours, and his face remained unshaved. Even beyond his outward weariness, his closest friends could see that he was burdened by a terrible weight, one that had put him dangerously close to the edge.

"Jason!" Carly called fearfully, practically running into the startled man's arms. "What happened? Is Courtney okay? God, you look terrible!"

Jason closed his eyes, trying to find patience with Carly's endless stream of questions and restless statements. This did not go unnoticed by Sonny, who gently pried his wife out of his best friend's arms. Free from Carly's desperate grasp, Jason flopped, exhausted, into an uncomfortable plastic chair. "You two should sit down," he said simply, adding a horrible sense of foreboding to the air around them, already so heavy with gloom and disinfectant. Instantly husband and wife pulled two more plastic chairs around Jason and sat, silently demanding to know what had happened to Courtney.

"Zander Smith found Courtney collapsed on the docs last night," Jason began in an exhausted voice, rubbing his eyes with his fingers as he spoke, half to fight the sleep that clung heavily to his eyes and half to keep from looking at Sonny and Carly. "He brought her in..." he trailed off suddenly, unable to bring himself to tell his two best friends that Courtney, their sister and closest companion, the woman that they all loved in one way or another, was so sick. He was rapidly gaining a greater respect for Monica; he couldn't imagine informing people that there loved ones were ill on a daily basis.

"Jason," started Sonny, the infamous edge present in his voice, mixed awkwardly with fear and anxiety he could not keep hidden. "What's wrong with my sister?"

Jason brought his eyes up to meet Carly and Sonny's, and with a sigh uttered the words that had shouted through his brain, preventing sleep, for hours. "Courtney has a brain tumor."

Carly's hand flew to her mouth, stifling a cry of shock and terror. Sonny simply stared at Jason for a moment, looking as though the man had punched him in the gut.

"Wh-what did you say?" he choked out, his eyes full of fear and denial. But before Jason could answer, Carly interrupted with the nervous blabbering that had become associated with her.

"No, that can't be right. Courtney's healthy, she's always kick-boxing and running and doing all sorts of things like that. There must have been a mistake, right Jason? You're having the doctor's re-test her, right? There was a mistake...My best friend can't have a brain tumor..." She could no longer continue, as she had dissolved into a fit of brokenhearted sobs. Sonny numbly put his arms around her, pulling her into his chest.

"My baby sister..." he muttered under his breath, but not quietly enough for Jason's keen ears to miss. Although he was looking straight at him, Jason now got the impression that Sonny could not see him at all, that he was instead looking far away, into another time or place.

For many long, anguished minutes, the trio sat in this broken state, unaware of the sympathetic and pitying looks the other occupants of the waiting room were giving them. Finally, Carly removed herself from her husband's arms, trying frantically to wipe her severely tear stained cheeks. "Wh-where is she?" she questioned shakily, as if she was liable to break down in tears at any second."

"Room 620," Jason said quietly, gently, trying to soothe both Carly and himself. "She asked to see you when you got here."

Carly nodded, and rose from her chair. On an impulse, she bent over and gave Jason an engulfing hug, trying to sum up every comforting and maternal instinct within her. Wordlessly, she held him for a moment, and they both took solace in each other. Pulling away, Carly gave a half-hearted smile before squeezing her husband's shoulder and walking to Courtney's room.

Presently, Sonny had his head in his hands, sitting soundlessly and seemingly oblivious to Jason's presence. Leaning forward slightly, Jason put a hand on Sonny's shoulder in a brotherly way. Raising his gaze from the floor, Jason could see that Sonny's chocolate eyes were swimming with unshed tears.

"My baby sister," he repeated softly, before losing control completely and falling, sobbing, into the embrace of the only man whose sorrow was greater than his own.

_(In Courtney's room)_

Entering the room cautiously, Carly looked upon her friend, who sat up the moment she arrived. Something had changed in her, Carly was certain of it. Her gaze, once so warm and loving, now seemed almost icy. Her face bore no trace of a smile, or any symbol of happiness. Still connected to a multitude of tubes and machines, Courtney gave Carly the impression of a china figurine, of which the lightest touch would break.

"Hey sweetie," Carly said soothingly as she approached her best friend. "Jason said that you wanted to see me. He, um...he told us about the tumor." Tears sprung to Carly's eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

"I knew he would," Courtney replied, her voice remarkably hard. The younger woman noticed Carly's concern at her tone, but could not find the energy within herself to console her. Instead, she reached for several pamphlets that rested on her bedside table, while Carly took the seat that Jason had occupied the night before.

"My new doctor gave these to me," she said, indicating the pamphlets in her hand.

"They're supposed to help me 'better understand the treatment and recovery process ahead of me,'" she said, her voice dripping with mockery of the doctor she was clearly not very fond of. Suddenly, Courtney looked from the booklet to Carly, her eyes burning into her friend as if made of fire. "I can't have surgery, Carly," she said emotionlessly, as if she had repeated the same sentence to herself many times. She didn't even wait for Carly to ask why she couldn't have surgery before launching into an explanation. "My liver's not strong enough. You want to know why?" Again she didn't wait for an answer; in fact, she seemed indifferent to Carly's very presence. "Because of drugs. Because I took drugs."

At once, Carly understood the significance of Courtney's words. "Oh my God, Courtney," she said, reaching for her friend's hand. "You have to know this isn't your fault. You made a mistake; who could blame you, after what you'd been through?"

"I was stupid, Carly," said Courtney, pulling out of Carly's grasp. "What was I thinking? I knew that something like this could happen, that the pills could hurt me, but I didn't care. If I die, it's my own fault!"

"Don't talk like that!" Carly said fiercely, a lump rising in her throat. When Courtney continued to avoid her eyes, she grasped her best friend's face and turned her head toward her. "Don't talk like that," she repeated, emphasizing her point, all the while feeling tears flow down her cheeks. "You're not going to die, Courtney. Everyone is going to do everything they can for you; me Sonny, Jason--"

"No!" Courtney cried, as she knocked Carly's hand away with a swift movement. Something in her eyes flashed, but it was so quick that Carly could not identify it. "No, Jason, he can't help me Carly. I can't see him."

For what was perhaps the first time in her life, Carly Corinthos was speechless. Several moments passed while she was in this state, her mouth slightly widened as primitive sounds rose sporadically from the depth of her throat, trying to comprehend what she had just heard.

"What do you mean, you can't see him?" Carly questioned at last, trying not to allow the slight annoyance she felt creep into her voice; it didn't seem wise to chastise Courtney for ignoring Jason, who was sitting in the waiting room looking as though he had just risen from the dead (and most likely feeling the exact same way), at this time. Courtney was, after all, bordering on hysterical, whether or not she tried to conceal her panic; this was quite obvious to her closest friend.

"Carly," Courtney began with somewhat of an exasperated sigh, "this doesn't change anything between us. We're still getting a divorce, and I can't keep depending on him for everything. I need to be strong on my own."

"Do you honestly think he'll accept that?" exclaimed Carly, louder than most would have but more quite than she would have preferred. "Honey, he's worried sick about you, and he's going to want to help you through this. He loves you!"

"This isn't about love!" Courtney shot back. "It's never been about love with us, Carly! I know he loves me, and he knows I love him! But I can't be with him, and I can't change that fact just because I'm sick!" She paused for a moment to calm herself; she couldn't allow herself to get this upset.

She looked again into Carly's eyes and for only a moment let her barrier down a bit. Suddenly, Carly was staring into the eyes of her old friend, the woman she had laughed and cried with, the woman who had been her first real girlfriend. A look of desperation and pleading was clearly written on her face, and Carly saw fully for the first time what the divorce had been doing to her. "Carly, I would love to run into Jason's arms right now and just cry my eyes out. I would love to feel his arms around me again..." She trailed of briefly, her gaze suddenly dropping to the golden ring around her thumb, which she had begun to twist. "But I can't. I can't let myself go like that, or I'll never be able to handle this. I can't be strong for myself around Jason, Carly, because he makes me want to give in to him. I can't let this change anything for us, because everything else is still the same." Presently, she brought her eyes back up to meet Carly's, and the older woman could see the barrier begin to rise again. "Please understand Carly. I know what's best for me. And--" her voice faltered momentarily. "And it isn't Jason."


End file.
